Artists of Ampilatwatja

Melita Pitjara Morton – Atyenh Amper (My Country)

Melita has painted her country where there is good hunting grounds, she is the daughter of well known and acclaimed artist, Michelle Pula Holmes. They like to go out hunting together to see the country and the bush flowers, which are the inspiration for their paintings.

Melita uses a fine dot technique which requires a lot of time and patience, this communicates her pride and passion she has for her paintings and her country.

The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint altyerr (dreaming stories). The artists paint their country where those stories sit.

Leanne Teece – Anterrengeny – My Father’s Country

Anterrengeny is my Father’s country. I paint the country that I come from, the beautiful landscapes and the many colours as they change during the session.

Jerome Ngwarraye Petrick – Atyenh Amper – (My Country)

I paint the country that I come from, the beautiful landscapes and the many colours as they change during the seasons.

Jerome is the Grandson of Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney and son of Sevania Kemarre Bonney, Jerome is inspired by the work of his family, especially his grandfather Alec Pula Lewis and uncle Gunderson Kemarre Lewis. He loves to paint the incredible landscapes found in Ampilatwatja

Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney – Atyenh Anyany Amper (My Grandmothers Country)

I still hunt my Grand Mothers country for goanna, bush medicine and yams.

I hunt all year round, hunting and walking through the country makes me happy.  When I look at the distant hills I can feel my grandmother.  Bush flowers are everywhere.

Painting and printing my grandmother’s country reminds about those times.

Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney – Penh Kwaty (After Rain)

After we have big rain the land is full of flowers and the river is full of water. This makes me happy.

Maisie Petyarre Bundey – Artna Tyap (Bush Tucker)

Kelvin Kemarre Ladd – Land of No Second Chance

When you break down in the middle of no where the desert claims the car. This is spinefex country, where the dust storms blow around and blocks out the sky and you can’t see anything, it has covered the rusty old vintage Dodge flat bed truck, the desert gives no second chances.

Kelvin Kemarre Ladd – The Gospel Singer

I’ve been painting for over 20 years, and I love to sing and play guitar. I love touring and travelling with my music and singing gospel songs. I hope and pray that my kids will follow me and sing. My daughter Kiara sings with me and it makes me proud

Maisie Petyarre Bundey – Anhelengkw (Emu) Dreaming

Anhelengkw (emu) dreaming is the breast body painting depicting the story of the mother emu who runs away and leaves the father emu to look after the eggs until they hatch, he then raises the chicks.

This story is passed down through Maisie’s family and celebrated in dance.

Lilly Kemarre Morton – Antarrengeny, My Country

Lilly has painted her country, Antarrengeny. The brightly coloured flowers and small bushes are bush medicine and are still used within the community.

Lilly’s landscapes beautifully communicate the rich knowledge she possesses of both medicinal plants and country, the heart of her culture.

As a young girl, Lilly lived traditionally off of the land with her family and Alyawarr people. In Lilly’s lifetime, she has experienced and borne witness to the irreversible changes of country and way of life, that were previously unchanged for thousands of years.

She is a kind and gentle elder of the community and often tells stories of how life used to be, in Alywarre, her language, to her family and friends. These stories are also a great inspiration for many of the artists within the community.

Lilly is passionate about nature, especially her country and the plants that grow on it, she speaks in launguage and is keen to explain the various bush medicines which she depicts in her paintings.

The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint altyerr (dreaming stories). The artists paint their country where those stories sit.